Plastic Sulfur
Description: When flowers of sulfur or roll-form sulfur is heated to melting point and then poured into water, the resulting rubbery mass remains flexible until it cools. In approximately 36 hours, the sulfur returns to a crystalline form.
This demonstration is also available on on video and JCE “Chemistry Comes Alive!” Vol.2 CD-Rom
Source: Shakhashiri, B.Z. Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry
Year: 1985 Vol: 2 Page: 243
Keywords: Polymers, Sulfur, Allotrope, Melting point
Rating: 
Hazard: High
- Oxidizer
- Burn hazard
- Inhalation hazard
- Acute toxicity hazard
- Gas-producing reaction
- Skin corrosion hazard
- Serious eye damage
- Flammability hazard
Effectiveness: Good
- Results are clearly observable without guidance
- Good connection from demo to course material
- Strong effects are seen by audience
- Moderate failure rate
- Time to results is medium
- Primary effects are observed
Difficulty: High
- Reactions containing chemicals that form toxic compounds
- Demos at non-standard conditions
- Procedures with some intermediate steps to results
- Requires attention to detail
- Requires temperature control
- Careful manipulations required
- Prior practice recommended
Safety Precautions:
- Eye protection required
- Gloves required
- Perform in fume hood or downdraft hood
- ABC fire extinguisher on hand
- Perform on chemically resistant surface
- Absorbent materials on hand
- Avoid exposure to gases, mists, or vapors
Class: Main Group Elements, Groups VIB and VIIB (16 and 17)
Division: General, Inorganic Chemistry
Home| General Chemistry Demonstrations| Inorganic Chemistry Demonstrations